Research Project Timeline Template

This Excel template lists ten typical research milestones from question to submission, with owners, due dates, status dropdowns and a dependencies column.

What is inside

• Ten pre-filled milestones across planning, ethics, data, analysis and writing
• Date-formatted start and due columns
• Status dropdown (not started, in progress, blocked, done)
• Space for dependencies and notes

How to use it

1. Add your own milestones and replace the generic ones.
2. Enter realistic dates, adding time for ethics review and revisions.
3. Update status weekly in your team meeting.
4. Use the Gantt template to see the same plan as a chart.

Example (illustrative)

A row: Ethics | Submit to ethics board | PI | 2026-03-01 to 2026-03-15 | In progress. (Illustrative.)

Limitations and cautions

The ten milestones are typical, not universal. Ethics review and data access often take longer than expected, so add your own dates and revisit them at each meeting. The file is free to use and edit, and the footer credits MedResearch Ninja.

MRN templates are original, editable starting points. Reporting standards (PRISMA, CARE, ICMJE and others) belong to their authors: use the official versions linked above for formal submissions.